Chapter 230: Section Forty-Five: Brother and Sister

On the nineteenth day of the twelfth month of the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, at Fenghuang City.

His upper body wrapped in a thick sheepskin jacket, a fox fur fastened around his neck, and a sable hat on his head, the noble Second Beile Amin sat in his warm bedding like an ordinary country rich man, drinking meat broth. This damned weather was simply too cold; last night he had added a charcoal brazier to the room and had the kang heated until it was scalding, yet this morning he found he had still caught a chill. The houses here in Fenghuang City were terribly drafty, and Amin began to miss the great mansion in Liaoyang. But then he gave a self-mocking laugh — back in the early days when they were just beginning to fight for the realm, the houses had been even worse than now. He had simply grown too accustomed to comfortable days and could no longer endure hardship. If there was nothing urgent in the morning, he had no intention of getting out of bed. Amin felt that a year of campaigning north and south had been tiring enough, and stealing a day of laziness now and then was only fair and just; on such a cold day, the Old Lord in Heaven surely wished everyone to rest.

Unfortunately, Heaven does not follow men's wishes. A bondservant of the Bordered Blue Banner came running all the way into his yurt: "Master, the Ming army has crossed the Yalu River again. News from Zhenjiang says the Ming army is full of old and young, and looks even more numerous than last time."

"Has Wenlong eaten through his grain so quickly? He truly has no idea how to manage a household." Amin sniffled, warming his hands comfortably on the soup bowl, his face showing not the slightest trace of anxiety, much less any intention of getting out of bed. "Let Wenlong run wild. There is nothing left in the outskirts of Zhenjiang. In this freezing cold, let him starve to death."

Over the past five years, Zhenjiang Fortress had endured the full brunt of war and had been rebuilt by the Later Jin army to be utterly impregnable. Now the city held eight niru of the Bordered Blue Banner and over two thousand Han troops. The garrison, Manchu and Han alike, knew clearly that the Ming army outside the city was so hungry their eyes had turned green, so they would certainly stand together through thick and thin and defend the city to the death.

"Master, the Ming army did not attack Zhenjiang; they headed straight for Kuandian."

"Oh~~~" A cloud of doubt flickered across Amin's face. He raised the bowl and took a small sip of hot broth, then hugged his bedding and muttered to himself, "Could it be that Jisheng's place is very prosperous?"

"Master. Master." Another bondservant came scrambling and crawling in, shouting hoarsely, "Xianshan Fort has fallen. It's lost. The Han troops who escaped say that Mao Youjie has come down from Kuandian. The Ming army is full of old and young, probably as many as ten thousand."

"Xianshan Fort is so lean, was it worth that?" Amin listened in a daze. Xianshan Fort held only a small surveillance force and very little grain. A small Ming force certainly could not take it, but a large one would have no profit to gain. From Amin's many years of experience, to Mao Wenlong there was no distinction between strategic locations and non-strategic locations — only whether a place could provide him with grain. So Amin was very fond of setting up surveillance outposts like Xianshan Fort, and the tactic had worked well for a long time, greatly restricting the Dongjiang Army's foraging range.

Xianshan Fort held no more than a few dozen dan of stored grain. Mao Wenlong had tens of thousands of men, plus Geng Zhongming's ten thousand or so — no matter how you looked at it, there was not enough to go around. Holding his bowl, Amin sat there pondering for a long while. If Kong Youde had attacked Xianshan Fort to clear the way for Mao Wenlong to go to Kuandian, that seemed to make sense. But if Mao Wenlong was not in a hurry, he could perfectly well go from Shuozhou in Korea to Kuandian. Passing near Zhenjiang offered only one advantage: taking the plain road would be somewhat faster than the mountain paths from Shuozhou. But why were they so frantically rushing to receive Mao Wenlong and take him to Kuandian?

Just as Amin was racking his brains, a third messenger burst in frantically, prostrating himself on the ground and howling, "Disaster, Master."

The third messenger had clearly run in great haste; after shouting, he gasped twice for breath before continuing to yell: "Xin'an Fort has sent urgent military intelligence. Kuandian... Chen Jisheng and Mao Yongshi of Kuandian have both come down from the mountains. The Ming army includes men and women, old and young — a dark, swarming mass beyond counting, probably tens of thousands. The leader, judging by the banners, is Mao Yongshi. He has brought over a thousand cavalry and is heading straight for Jiumaji Fort."

Behind Jiumaji Fort lies the central Liaoning plain. Beyond that place is Xianning Camp (near present-day Benxi), and beyond Xianning Camp is Shenyang. And in between, the land is flat and open, without any further obstacles whatsoever.

The dumbstruck Amin's hand froze, and more than half a bowl of meat broth spilled all over his bedding. Although he had not yet figured out the entire situation, Amin already knew one thing clearly — Mao Wenlong had no intention of letting him spend the winter comfortably in a warm house.

On the night of the nineteenth day, at Juehua.

The Ningqian Circuit Grain Supervisor and Assistant Prefect, my lord Zhao Yin, seemed quite displeased when he returned to his residence today. He hurried into the rear hall, restrained his emotions as best he could, and after paying his respects to his mother with proper ceremony, he went to the central courtyard to eat with anger still simmering. When the food was served, Zhao Yin stuffed it down rapidly, only to choke himself after a few mouthfuls. As he was frantically pounding his own chest, a pair of hands beside him passed over a cup of hot tea.

After gulping down the tea, Zhao Yin finally let out a long breath, then clutched his chest and panted for a long while. "Little Sister, thank you."

The young lady took back the teacup, smoothed her green skirt, and sat down at the table. With concern she asked, "Did Big Brother encounter something upsetting today? Don't worry too much. Eat slowly, and then rest well."

"Mm, I understand." Under his sister's gentle persuasion, Zhao Yin ate much more refinedly thereafter. After the meal, Young Lady Zhao brewed Zhao Yin's favorite jasmine tea and brought it to him.

Drinking the hot tea after the meal, Zhao Yin felt the chill in his chest and belly gradually dissipate. He smiled at his younger sister and said, "Whoever manages to marry my little sister into his family — that brother-in-law of mine will truly be a blessed man."

"Big Brother is teasing his sister." Young Lady Zhao's cheeks flushed red. She lifted the teapot and refilled her brother's cup before pouring one for herself. She took a sip and smiled. "Brother is also a blessed man. Sister-in-law is not only skilled in the kitchen but is also so beautiful."

At present, both Zhao siblings were in their mourning period, so although Zhao Yin had long been betrothed, he could not yet marry. This younger sister of his had used every opportunity to gather information from the bride's relatives and friends, and the news she had inquired about was quite favorable. Then she would whisper in her brother's ear praising his future wife, filling Zhao Yin's heart with sweetness. In his leisure moments at work, he would always recall his sister's words and daydream about the lovely image of his betrothed.

In the past, no matter what unhappy matter Zhao Yin encountered, as soon as Young Lady Zhao brought up this topic, his displeasure would vanish like smoke. Although the eldest brother of the Zhao family would never say anything he considered beneath his dignity, he would lean back contentedly in his chair and listen with a smile as his sister chattered away like a little magpie.

Unfortunately, today Young Lady Zhao had miscalculated. When she mentioned her future sister-in-law, the expected happy smile not only failed to appear on Zhao Yin's face but instead caused his expression to darken instantly. Zhao Yin gave a cold snort. "Little Sister, do you know what I encountered today? Hmph, it was that same wretch who ruined your marriage prospects coming to make trouble for me again."

Back then, before Old Master Zhao passed away, he had already been gravely ill for a long time, and the physician had said things about preparing for the funeral. But no matter what, Zhang Pan's self-styled clever move had been like delivering one final kick.

The old Madam Zhao nagged about it all day long: if not for that vile scoundrel Huang Shi, the old master would absolutely not have departed so soon. So even if the Zhao family did not regard Huang Shi as a mortal enemy who had killed their father, they still bore a deep and abiding grudge against him.

The old master's death had not only affected the marriage of Zhao Yin's eldest younger sister but had also forced Zhao Yin and his second sister to observe three years of mourning just when they had reached marriageable age, wasting their youth in vain. Zhao Yin's younger brother had not yet earned any scholarly rank, so the Zhao family had sent the second son off to the capital to study.

The accumulation of grievances was truly no small matter.

As expected...

As soon as Huang Shi's name was mentioned, an expression of resentment also appeared on Young Lady Zhao's face. Her full sister had suffered over two years of ill treatment from her in-laws because of that wretched business with Huang Shi. Moreover, her sister had not yet borne a child in these years, which only added frost to the snow, subjecting the eldest daughter of the Zhao family to endless cold stares from her parents-in-law and cold words from her husband. It was not until last year, when Zhao Yin committed his first act of abusing power for personal gain and transferred his eldest brother-in-law to Juehua as a clerk, that his eldest sister's life became somewhat more bearable.

Over the years, Zhao Yin had worked very diligently. No one could ever find fault with the matters he handled, and his superiors always praised him. Thus, despite being merely a Provincial Graduate, he had rapidly climbed to the rank of Assistant Prefect of the sixth rank, and moreover held the most lucrative post of grain supply supervisor. This naturally aroused the envy of his colleagues. Since Zhao Yin's work was beyond reproach, having nothing to say, they could only nitpick trivial matters and constantly fixated on the sensitive topic of his eldest sister. For years, the veiled mockery and sarcasm about his family's virtue had never ceased. Last year, when Zhao Yin, heartbroken at his eldest sister's suffering, secured a post for his brother-in-law in Juehua, the attacks only intensified.

Having endured so much undeserved and filthy vexation over the years, the siblings, after much thought, naturally blamed it all on Huang Shi. Young Lady Zhao said angrily, "That calamity star — could it be that our family owed him too much in a past life and still cannot repay it in this one? Whenever he is involved, nothing good ever comes of it. Big Brother, you must not get involved."

"You needn't even say it. Of course I avoid that calamity star as if afraid of catching a plague — how would I dare to provoke him?" Zhao Yin gave another cold snort. He told his sister: Today, an imperial decree from the Emperor arrived at the Ningqian Circuit. The decree not only ordered Juehua to break open the harbor ice to prepare for Huang Shi's landing but also commanded all officials of the Ningqian Circuit to cooperate fully with Huang Shi's operations and, if necessary, to voluntarily abandon Juehua and the outer fortresses of Ningyuan.

Why was it a direct imperial decree from the Son of Heaven and not a dispatch from the Ministry of War? Because the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Yan Mingtai, firmly opposed any plan to abandon the frontline fortresses. He vigorously advocated holding fast to all the outer fortress clusters that Sun Chengzong had built, and Juehua was also a critical element in Yan Mingtai's overall strategy.

Originally, when Sun Chengzong first took command in Liaodong, Yan Mingtai had argued that building a city at Juehua was better than building one at Ningyuan. This time, Yan Mingtai opposed Gao Di's general withdrawal order even more fiercely. He believed they should hold their ground step by step on the front line and let the naval camp at Juehua seize the opportunity to strike and cut the pontoon bridge at Sanchahe. In the original history, it was precisely because of Yan Mingtai's insistence that the Tianqi Emperor reluctantly approved the strategy of resisting beyond the passes. But apart from the Ningqian Military Defense Circuit Yuan Chonghuan, who personally garrisoned Ningyuan Fortress, the defending troops in all other areas either fled or collapsed.

This time, Huang Shi's proposal also greatly disgusted Yan Mingtai. He questioned the Grand Secretariat: how was this any different from Gao Di's general withdrawal order? He further questioned why Senior Grand Secretary Gu wanted to violate the ancestral system of "the civil controlling the military."

General Manager Gu thought to himself: "This is not my idea. If you have the ability, go argue with His Majesty."

But Gu Bingqian did not dare say this to Yan Mingtai or the officials of the Ministry of War. He felt that the dignity of the Senior Grand Secretary must still be maintained. But he certainly would not shoulder the label of being the great traitor of the civil official clique who "supported the military controlling the civil." And General Manager Gu felt that if he truly took the blame for this, it would be far too unjust.

But expecting Senior Grand Secretary Gu to stick his neck out for the Ministry of War was even more unthinkable. The Tianqi Emperor's trust in Huang Shi was obvious to anyone who was not blind. Whoever was willing to take the risk of "offering slander and causing a military defeat" at this critical juncture could go right ahead; in any case, he, Gu Bingqian, would absolutely not provoke His Majesty's wrath.

Since he could not afford to offend either side, General Manager Gu, clinging to the mentality of never sticking his neck out, had no choice but to engage in bureaucratic wrangling with the Ministry of War... Of course, this time the wrangling was the goal, not the means. General Manager Gu's plan was to evade responsibility through this wrangling. So it dragged on for days without the Ministry of War issuing a dispatch, and the Grand Secretariat's draft rescript was even more out of the question. In the end, the Tianqi Emperor had no choice but to issue a direct imperial decree to the Ningqian Circuit.

"No Grand Secretariat draft rescript, no Ministry of War dispatch, and no Senior Grand Secretary's countersignature..." After explaining the whole story, a smug smile crossed Zhao Yin's face. After reading it during the day, he had clearly refused to accept the decree, which was also a privilege the civil official clique had always stubbornly defended. "I already told the imperial envoy: 'This is a disorderly command and a false edict. Your servant dares not obey the imperial order.' Little Sister, it's a pity you didn't see the envoy's expression at that moment. It was truly amusing, haha."

Zhao Yin laughed to himself for a while, but his sister not only did not join in the amusement but instead had a faint trace of worry in her eyes. After Zhao Yin's laughter ceased, Young Lady Zhao asked softly and cautiously, "Big Brother, is it true that Huang Shi petitioned His Majesty to have all the people of Juehua evacuated into Ningyuan?"

Completely oblivious to his sister's worry, Zhao Yin answered readily, "Yes, that edict also said something, um, that if he does not arrive in time, I am to burn all the stores."

"So that's how it is." Young Lady Zhao furrowed her brow and lowered her head in thought. Her fingers, holding the teacup, unconsciously traced patterns on it, and then her hands slipped, nearly dropping the cup.

Startled from her deep thought, Young Lady Zhao looked up anxiously and asked, "Big Brother, we are in the rear area at Juehua — could it really become a battlefield?"

"Our place, become a battlefield?" Zhao Yin was first stunned, then burst into loud laughter. "Little Sister, where has your mind wandered off to? This place is the grain and fodder storage stronghold for our great army at Ningyuan. Unless all three defense sectors are gone, how could it become a battlefield? Besides, the Jianzhou slaves have no navy at all — they can't exactly swim over from the sea to attack, can they? If they swim over, that would be for the best, in this freezing cold, heh heh."

"Then... then why would Huang Shi warn about Juehua?" Young Lady Zhao's face was still full of worry and doubt. Although she also thought Huang Shi was a scoundrel, she was not as fond of blindly belittling Huang Shi's abilities as her brother was. Now that Huang Shi was renowned throughout the realm, Zhao Yin was probably the only one who still turned a blind eye and spared no effort to attack Huang Shi's military capability, attributing all his achievements to Heaven's blindness.

Hearing her brother say that Huang Shi had warned of danger at Juehua, a shadow involuntarily shrouded Young Lady Zhao's heart, as if she sensed a nightmare about to unfold. "Although Huang Shi is a scoundrel of low character, presumably he would not dare spout nonsense before His Majesty, would he?"

Upon hearing his sister's words, Zhao Yin gave a long sigh. He raised his cup and drained the tea in one gulp, then set it down heavily on the table. "It's still those eunuch scoundrels and the petty men who fawn upon them — they have deceived His Majesty." After another heavy, sorrowful sigh, Zhao Yin shook his head helplessly. "Huang Shi has surely colluded with the treacherous sycophants in the court and joined them in deceiving His Majesty."

After venting a long string of lamentations, Zhao Yin was pouring himself more tea when he noticed his sister was still frowning, looking deeply worried. He patted her with a smile. "Little Sister, do not worry. From Ningyuan to Guangning's Right Garrison, there are three defense sectors with tens of thousands of government troops along the road, over ten castles, and several hundred beacon towers. Not to mention the thirteen battalions of the Guan-Ning Iron Cavalry — even if the eastern slaves attacked all the way, it would take them at least several months to reach Juehua. Moreover, the court has already issued orders to Shanhai Pass for Grand Coordinator Gao, Regional Commander Yang, and Regional Commander Ma to mobilize all five defense sectors' troops to reinforce Ningyuan. By that time, they would have long since arrived. How could there be the slightest danger?"

Because over the past two years Huang Shi had continuously sent severed heads and captured military banners and regalia to Juehua and Ningyuan for verification, quite a few officials in the Ningqian Circuit had a rather good impression of Huang Shi. There were many such people in Juehua as well, whom Zhao Yin uniformly labeled "degenerates among the civil officials." Although most civil officials contemptuously regarded Huang Shi as merely a somewhat brave and fierce military man, some civil officials had gradually come to feel that Huang Shi possessed considerable stratagem and insight; otherwise, it was unlikely he could win battle after battle. Ordinarily, these factions of civil officials in the Ningqian Circuit argued endlessly, their faces red with passion, over the strategic ability a military officer might possess.

But this time, upon seeing Huang Shi's proposal, those voices that usually supported Huang Shi suddenly fell completely silent, while the group that had always looked down on military officers was utterly beside themselves with glee. In the words of a military defense secretary in the Ningqian Circuit: "Even if the eastern slaves did nothing but march, it would take them a good ten days to go from Sanchahe to Ningyuan. Along the way, fight a few casual battles, besiege a few forts, engage in some back-and-forth — would Juehua still need Huang Shi to warn it? And if he cannot reach Juehua in all that time, it would be even more laughable. Is Huang Shi some kind of turtle?"

Zhao Yin vividly described the day's events, and at last the look of worry faded from the face of the second young lady of the Zhao family. She gently clasped her chest and let out a long breath, a smile reappearing on her face. "So that's how it is. Big Brother's analysis is indeed penetrating and incisive."